- 300kW output and all-wheel drive for outstanding performance
- Range of over 400 kilometres and fast charging at up to 150kW
- e-tron prototype appears at the unveiling of the first Chargefox ultra-rapid charging station in Australia
Euroa, October 24, 2018 – The Audi e-tron prototype has made its Australian debut, almost 12 months before its arrival in the second-half of 2019. As the precursor to the first series-production vehicle with a fast-charging capacity of 150kW, the Audi e-tron prototype was the standout vehicle at the launch of the first Chargefox ultra-rapid charging station in Australia.
The new charging stations will allow the Audi e-tron to charge at its full 150kW fast-charging capacity, replenishing 80 percent of its 400km-plus range in just 30 minutes.
"Audi Australia is delighted to be announced as a Foundation Partner of the ultra-rapid Chargefox network," said Paul Sansom, Managing Director of Audi Australia.
"This network of ultra-rapid chargers will allow Audi e-tron owners to fully enjoy the benefits of EV motoring on long journeys, as well as the everyday urban environment. By the time the Audi e-tron arrives here in 2019, the majority of the 21 chargers will be built, which will provide owners with every reassurance to tackle long distances.
"Our partnership with Chargefox shows that Audi Australia is committed to the future of electric vehicles in this country, and is laying the foundations for the success of our growing range of EVs in the coming years. By 2025, Audi will have 20 either full-electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles across our model range, and so this announcement is a very important step for us," said Mr Sansom.
The Audi e-tron is the first fully electrically powered series production model from the brand with the four rings. It is an electric SUV for sport, family and leisure. It is 4901 millimetres long, 1935 millimetres wide and 1616 millimetres high and offers the spaciousness and comfort of one of the brand's typical full-size models. With a wheelbase of 2928 millimetres, the Audi e-tron has ample space for five occupants and total luggage capacity of 660 litres.
Efficiency, performance and quiet tranquility – the Audi e-tron exemplifies the driving experience of a new era. Two powerful electric motors silently drive the electric SUV, free of emissions with a system output of up to 300kW and 664Nm of torque. The maximum drive torque is available within fractions of a second and provides enormous pulling power, the Audi e-tron accelerating from 0 to 100km/h in 5.7 seconds with an electronically governed top speed of 200km/h.
A new quattro generation – the electric all-wheel drive – provides for superlative traction and handling on any terrain and in any weather conditions. It ensures the continuous and fully variable regulation of the ideal distribution of drive torque between the two axles – within a fraction of a second. In most cases, the electric SUV uses its rear electric motor in order to achieve the highest efficiency, but should the driver need more power than it can supply, the electric all-wheel drive redistributes torque as required to the front axle. This also happens predictively even before slip occurs in icy conditions, fast cornering, or if the car understeers or oversteers.
The Audi e-tron can cover more than 400 kilometres on a single charge in the WLTP test cycle. This is due primarily to the innovative recuperation system, which is responsible for up to 30 percent of the range. The electric SUV can recover energy in two ways: by means of coasting recuperation when the driver releases the accelerator, or by means of braking recuperation when the brake pedal is depressed. In both cases, the electric motors function as a generator and convert the kinetic energy of the Audi e-tron into electric energy. At up to 0.3 g of deceleration, the electric SUV recuperates solely via the electric motors, which is the case well over 90 percent of the time.
The wheel brakes do not come into play until the driver uses the brake pedal to decelerate with more than 0.3 g, and then they react extremely quickly thanks to a new electrohydraulic actuation concept. Audi is the first carmaker worldwide to employ this in an electric-powered series-production model. When braking from 100km/h, for example, the Audi e-tron can recuperate electric power with a maximum of 300Nm and 220kW, which corresponds to more than 70 percent of its operating energy input – greater than any other series production model. The electrohydraulically integrated brake control system decides as a function of the driving situation whether the e-tron uses the electric motor, wheel brake or a combination of the two for recuperation – with this taking place individually at each axle. The transition between electric and hydraulic braking is so smooth the driver does not even notice it.
Another key factor for the high efficiency of the Audi e-tron is the sophisticated aerodynamics. One highlight of this concept are the optional virtual exterior mirrors – a worldwide first in a series production model. Integrated into each of the mirror supports is a small camera, whose images are displayed on high-contrast OLED displays inside the vehicle. When equipped with the virtual exterior mirrors, the Audi e-tron achieves a Cd value of 0.27, which is a top result in the SUV segment.
The Audi e-tron is the first series-production vehicle that can charge at fast charging stations with direct current (DC) at up to 150kW. This means that the car is all set for the next long-distance stretch of a journey in approximately half an hour.
– ENDS –
The Audi Group, with its brands Audi, Ducati and Lamborghini, is one of the most successful manufacturers of automobiles and motorcycles in the premium segment. It is present in more than 100 markets worldwide and produces at 16 locations in twelve countries. 100 percent subsidiaries of AUDI AG include Audi Sport GmbH (Neckarsulm), Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. (Sant'Agata Bolognese, Italy) and Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. (Bologna, Italy).
In 2017, the Audi Group delivered to customers about 1.878 million automobiles of the Audi brand, 3,815 sports cars of the Lamborghini brand and 55,900 motorcycles of the Ducati brand. In the 2017 fiscal year, AUDI AG achieved total revenue of €60.1 billion and an operating profit of €5.1 billion. At present, approximately 90,000 people work for the company all over the world, more than 60,000 of them in Germany. Audi focuses on sustainable products and technologies for the future of mobility.